On the Western edge of Bogotá is a mountain range that creates picturesque view. The main hill, Monserrate, is seen from virtually every where in the city. On top of the mountain is a church that stands, promising incredible views.

To get to the top, a few of us took the aerial tramway. The quick five minute ride took us up, and I felt the thin air take a toll. According to the most reliable source on the internet, Wikipedia, we were at 10,341 feet. When I stepped off the train, we had to walk up a slight hill. Two minutes later, my out of shape ass was huffing and puffing. Seriously, I need to go for a run to get used to this altitude.

The views were great. Below is a collection of photos I snapped, edited on my computer.

The South of Bogotá

The northern part of the city

A cool color inversion setting I have on my camera.

My camera has a cool time lapse feature that I used on top of the mountain. I set it to focus more on the interaction of people over the course of about ten minutes. Pretty cool feature…

3 responses to “The View from Monserrate”

I have a confession to make – not necessarily to you, but just a confession in general. Anytime I see that someone has updated their “work info” on Facebook I can’t stop myself from checking out their profile. It doesn’t matter whether it’s one of my best friends from grade school or just a stranger who’s friend request I foolishly accepted months earlier (they could be identity thiefs!!!). Anyway, a few months back when I saw that you had updated yours, I, like clock work, had to see what you were doing…

And what you’re doing is incredible!

I envy your courage to jettison the safety of a 401k and health insurance for a life well-lived. Such fortitude seems to be reserved only for Hollywood, but clearly not in your case. When I envision the anxiety that must accompany such a decision, it makes me think of the end of Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade when Harrison Ford is standing on the edge of what appears to be an infinite abyss. While I’m sure you’re familiar with the scene, I don’t know if you’ll remember what he says before he takes the “leap of faith”:

“[…] only in the leap from the lion’s head may he prove his worth.”

Well you took the leap and I have no doubt that you will be rewarded handsomely for having done so. Here’s to living the dream!

Hang in there with the Spanish and keep filling us in on your adventures with this blog!